Nokia announced today that it will be streamlining its development environments across device platforms by focusing on its Qt development platform.

 

The company will be making Qt (pronounced “cute”) its only application development framework. This means that app developers that create an application in Qt, will be able to deploy it to Nokia devices running on both Symbian and MeeGo platforms. Nokia will also be creating its own applications and user interface (UI) on Qt as well.

 

Users will be able to “buy a Nokia smartphone confident that any improvements introduced later to the Symbian platform, such as the user interface, can be made available to download on your device as well,” a statement reads on its blog.

 

“No need to wait for Symbian^4 - the improvements we were planning for Symbian^4 will be introduced as and when they become available. In fact, we will no longer be talking about Symbian^3 or Symbian^4 at all – it will be one constantly evolving and constantly improving platform.”

 

The Finnish company will also adopt the HTML5 standard for Web content and apps for both the Symbian and MeeGo platforms via in-built support in Qt and through the browser.

 

 

Corporate change for Nokia hasn’t only been limited to the company’s software development. Following the departure of Nokia’s CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, replaced by Microsoft’s Stephen Elop, and the resignations of Nokia executive vice president (VP) Anssi Vanjoki and VP of the MeeGo devices division Ari Jaaksi, the company announced that it will be cutting up to 1 800 jobs.

 

Nokia is aiming to “accelerate its transformation and increase effectiveness” by simplifying operations in product creation within its Symbian Smartphones organisation and Services organisation. It will do this by cutting up to 1 800 jobs globally.